


the truth is a daring thing

by illea



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, M/M, Truth Serum, Truth or Dare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:28:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26361913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/illea/pseuds/illea
Summary: Rip and Jonah find the Legends playing truth or dare using Ma'at's roach. Turns out, they have some secrets of their own.(prompts: rip hunter, jonah hex, truth serum)
Relationships: Jonah Hex/Rip Hunter
Comments: 3
Kudos: 24
Collections: we didn't start the fire





	the truth is a daring thing

Rip couldn’t recall the last time he’d felt this calm. He supposed it could be the alcohol—they’d had a few pints at the saloon, and his limbs felt warm and liquid. It could also be the privacy of Salvation, one of few temporal blindspots where he was free to do as he pleased without the prying eyes of the Time Bureau.

“It was nice to see you,” Jonah said, removing his hat as he stepped onto the Waverider. The left side of his mouth pulled up in a gentle smile, an expression so rare that Rip’s heart skipped a beat.

_Or it could be that._

_“_ We should do it again sometime,” Rip replied. “Literally.”

Jonah laughed quietly—something the rest of Rip's errant crew didn’t have the courtesy to do. A cacophony of laughter and screams emanated from his office, destroying the peace.

“Follow me,” Rip said, striding towards his office. He tried to put his brain in captain mode, but the beer made it difficult. Luckily he had Gideon.

“Gideon, what’s going on?” he asked, moving faster down the hallway. She didn’t answer and he ran towards his office, bounding up the stairs. The Legends were splayed across every available surface, including Sara curled up in his favourite chair.

“Rip!” she said, her face splitting into a wide smile. Too wide.

“Are you drunk?” Rip asked, rubbing a hand across his chin. He scanned the room and spotted at least three of his whisky bottles, each one partially empty. It was the good stuff, too—smuggled from Earth whenever he got the chance.

“You know we have a perfectly good fabricator,” Rip lamented, grabbing one of the bottles out of Nate’s hand. Rip ignored Nate’s whine.

“You were out with _Jonah_?” Sara asked, whispering his name at a volume so loud that he heard it perfectly. Jonah went to tip his hat before remembering he’d taken it off. The Legends burst into laughter and Jonah’s cheeks flushed.

“Please be nice to our guest,” Rip said. “He’s an old friend.”

“Friend, eh?” John asked, raising his eyebrows. Charlie held her fist out and he bumped it.

“I think it’s time for you all to go to bed,” Rip said. “Why are you gathered in here anyway? You have your own quarters.”

At this question, they fell suspiciously silent. This attempt to prove their innocence was a mistake, because the silence revealed a quiet fluttering noise that Rip was unfortunately familiar with.

“Ma’at’s truth roach,” he observed, a sharp note of disappointment in his voice. “What were you thinking?”

Sara sighed, deciding to take one for the team. “We were just playing truth or dare! We thought it might be fun to raise the stakes. It was harmless.”

“I kissed Haircut,” Mick said, though with his monotone voice, Rip wasn’t sure whether he was happy about it or not. Ray was now asleep in a corner, so he couldn't have been too bothered.

“John had to lick the bottom of my foot,” Charlie offered. John shrugged, taking another slug of whisky.

“I’ve licked worse.”

“It was just a game, Rip,” Sara said, holding her hands out innocently.

“Shouldn’t you address him as Captain Hunter?” Jonah asked, eyeing them. “Seems awfully disrespectful.”

“It’s fine, Jonah,” Rip said, placing a gentle hand on Jonah’s shoulder. Sara’s eyes tracked the movement and Rip quickly dropped his hand.

“This was stupid and irresponsible,” Rip said.

“You made us stay on the ship! We had to do something to entertain ourselves,” Charlie argued.

“Couldn’t you have entertained yourselves quietly?” Rip replied. “Read a book. Watch a film. Stop destroying your livers.”

“So you get to blow off some steam and we don’t?” she countered, gesturing between him and Jonah.

“I didn’t blow off anything,” Rip said, crossing his arms. Sara choked on her drink and he immediately regretted his choice of words. “I simply meant that I’m the captain and I did my job. Which unfortunately involved the semi-destruction of Salvation, thanks to all of you."

“Alright then, Captain,” Mick said, finishing his beer. “Truth or dare?”

“What?”

“Yeah,” Sara said, sitting up on her heels. “If you’re so brave and so in need of some fun—truth or dare?”

“This is childish,” Rip said, waving them off.

“Dare,” Jonah answered, stepping up into Rip’s office. He placed a hand on his belt, ready for a stand-off.

“I dare you to shoot Rip,” Charlie said instantly, her eyes lighting up. Rip swore that girl thrived on chaos.

“No,” Jonah said gruffly. He re-adjusted his jacket, covering the gun at his waist. Charlie rolled her eyes.

“Nowhere important! The leg or something. Gideon will fix him right up.”

“I don’t shoot unless I have to,” Jonah said, his voice clear and firm. It sent a shiver down Rip’s spine.

“Truth, then,” Sara said, standing up. “Have you and Rip ever boned?”

“Boned?” Jonah said, unsure. Mick helpfully stepped up.

“Smashed. Screwed. Fu—”

“I think he gets the picture,” Rip said, cutting Mick off. “And he will not be answering that question.”

“Ah, but you forgot the most important part,” John said, picking up the jar. He shook it once and the roach fell on its back. John waved his hand around the jar, reciting unintelligible words under his breath. The roach disappeared and Jonah’s hands flew to his throat.

“You don’t have to say any—” Rip began.

“No,” Jonah said, his voice rough. “No. We’ve never—uh—done that.”

“Why not?” Sara asked, a lascivious grin on her face. Rip was already thinking of a variety of ways he could harm her in her sleep. Jonah was quiet for a moment, his lips pressed together so tightly their colour began to fade.

“There was one night I thought—maybe—it could happen. But he had to leave.”

Rip surprised himself by knowing exactly which night Jonah was referring to. It had been in Calvert, when Rip was playing hero at Jonah’s side. They’d caught a particularly dangerous outlaw that had been wreaking havoc on a nearby town and Jonah’s bounty had been generous. Much like tonight, they’d spent hours talking over beer and food. Jonah hadn’t touched him—it was the Old West in the 1860s—but there had been something in his eyes. Something that wanted. Something that wanted _Rip_.

But the Time Masters had called, and he had to go.

"Have you thought about it?" Charlie asked, pressing further. Rip felt his cheeks begin to heat.

"Well, I am now," Jonah stammered. "But that's not—you brought it up—"

“Would you want to?” Sara asked, her smirk beginning to fade. At some point, this had stopped being a joke. Jonah wrung his hat in his hands and looked down, his face flushed.

“I believe the rules state that you get one question and one question only,” Rip said, saving Jonah. “Please stop humiliating someone that has helped us on numerous occasions.”

“We weren’t—” Sara argued, but Rip cut her off.

“John, remove Ma’at’s roach immediately.”

Rip had never spoken to his crew so fiercely. John muttered something quickly and the roach re-appeared in the jar. Jonah coughed once, twice, then strode out of the room, ignoring Rip’s gaze. The Legends were silent.

“If you have a drop of remorse in you, you’ll pretend you didn’t hear a word he said,” Rip said firmly. He grabbed the bottle of whisky from Mick’s hand and took a large swig, burning his throat.

“We could do that,” John said slowly, running his fingers around the lid of the jar. “But I’m not sure you should.”

“A confession pried from someone’s throat isn’t fair or right,” Rip replied, ignoring his rabbiting heart. There was a not-small part of him that wished he hadn't interrupted. He passed the bottle back to Mick, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth.

“Except I didn’t,” John said, smirking mischievously. He ran his fingers around the lid of the jar and then waved a hand over it. The bug disappeared. He snapped his fingers and it reappeared in the same spot.

“You didn’t?” Rip said.

“A little sleight of hand, some phlegm in the throat. Basic magic, really,” John replied. “Whatever he said, he said it because he wanted to."

Sara blew out a low breath. “If I were you, I certainly wouldn’t want to forget that.”

Rip felt his heart sinking into his stomach. _Oh god_. He’d tried to save Jonah some embarrassment with his interjection, but if Jonah had said those things by choice—he’d likely caused him more hurt and embarrassment than he could imagine.

“I’ll be back,” Rip said, running down the steps towards the hallway.

“Don’t bother!” Charlie yelled, letting out a rather inappropriate whoop. Rip would never admit it, but in that nerve-wracking moment, he appreciated the support. Jonah was already nearing the end of the hallway by the time Rip caught up to him.

“Jonah!” Rip called. Jonah was halfway through settling his hat back on his head and he turned, his face neutral.

“Would you?” Rip asked breathlessly—though whether it was from the running or the adrenaline, he wasn’t sure.

“Would I?”

“Sleep with me.”

Jonah adjusted his hat again, pulling it lower on his face to hide his flushed cheeks. He paused for a moment before answering.

“That certainly sounds nicer than ‘boning’,” he replied, his face pulling into a half-smile. God, Rip loved that face. It was a face full of memories—of months spent together building a new future, of mistakes and forgiveness, of finding their way back to each other throughout time and space.

Rip grabbed the collar of Jonah’s jacket and pulled him in, kissing him fervently. For a brief moment he worried that it had all been a mistake and Jonah would push him away, but when Jonah’s hands landed on Rip’s neck, they were gentle and needy. He moved his hands across Rip's shoulders and down his back, pulling him in at the waist. Rip ran his hands through Jonah’s hair so desperately that it knocked his hat off and Rip laughed into Jonah’s mouth. 

This time, when the Legends began to yell and cheer behind them, Rip didn’t let it distract him.

**Author's Note:**

> Another quarantine fic challenge with [jessequicksters](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessequicksters)!
> 
> It's fate that I got Rip twice. He is the king of my heart.


End file.
